Page 70 of We Thought We Knew It All
“No, I’m just ignoring it.”
Leaning back in the booth, I crossed my arms over my chest. One of the waitresses brought me a stack of pancakes and bacon. I looked up to find Jasper winking from the kitchen. Shaking my head, I dug in.
“You’ll need your strength,” Colby said, explaining the food he’d obviously ordered for me.
“Why?”
He grinned. “There’s a swell coming.”
That caught my attention, but something was off. “Since when do you care about that? You don’t even surf.”
“Since I’m the best brother in the world. I don’t have to surf, but you could use some waves. I’ll hang on the beach.”
I wasn’t about to argue again. Surfing sounded pretty darn good, and the waves had been crap lately. Maybe they’d help me clear my mind. We finished eating and then both drove back to my house.
I ran in and threw on my bathing suit and wet-suit while Colby strapped my board to the top of his car. We rode together to the beach, and when we pulled into the parking lot, a familiar car was waiting for us.
Jay stepped out and came to meet me with a wide smile on his face.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, looking back and forth between Jay and my brother.
“I needed a day off.” He shrugged. “Amber is handling things at the office.”
I nodded, not questioning it more. In truth, it felt good to have both of them there with me. I linked arms with Jay and started leading him across the parking lot where I got a glimpse of the ocean. My feet stopped moving, and I slipped out of Jay’s grasp.
“Seriously, guys?” I looked into their guilty faces. “You make me leave work and there aren’t even any surfable waves?”
The water rolled slightly before foaming toward the shore. There was no curling, no height. It wasn’t flat, but it may as well have been.
I took my annoyance with me as I marched out onto the sand and threw down my board. “Ugh,” I yelled. “Can’t anything go right?”
I didn’t realize Colby and Jay hadn’t followed me until I heard a different voice behind me. “What’s wrong, Cal? Some asshole leave you hanging?”
I didn’t turn at the sound; my feet wouldn’t let me. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salt air. It calmed me down, but I still couldn’t speak.
“Don’t you hate it when you’re told there are waves and it’s flat?” He laughed.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to make me remember, not realizing that I’d never forgotten. I finally turned. Jamie Daniels stood in front of me in faded jeans and a button down that was open over a white tank. His hands dug deep in his pockets as he rocked back in his sandals. His blond hair had grown since he left the Army and it was now styled to the side. His clear eyes looked at me, willing me to speak.
“I was so mad at you,” I whispered.
“I know.”
“I mean that day. You lied to me about the waves, and I skipped the first day of senior year.”
“Would you have remembered anything you learned that day?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. “But you remember coming here with me.”
“Because we fought.”
“We always fight. You know what I remember about that day? I wanted to spend time with you so bad that I would have done anything.”
“And this day? Why did you have them lie to me about the waves today?”
“Because, Cal, you went on TV for me.”
“But that was a week ago.” I hugged my arms close as if protecting myself.
“I still needed time, but Callie, I don’t ever want to stop fighting with you.” He stepped closer, and I didn’t stop him from reaching out to touch my cheek. “I don’t want to stop watching you. I don’t want to stop kissing you.” He moved even closer and I was lost in the image of the two of us. He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over mine. “I don’t want to stop loving you.”
